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DJI Mini 2 impressions after 12 days and comparison to Mini 1

Paleomanjim

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So I have had the DJI Mini 2 for around 12 days now and have had it out in the field around 7 days with 15 flights or so. I consider myself as more of a pilot than a photographer so I may have a certain bias in my perspective. Here we go. The occusnyc is fantastic and far more reliable than the Wifi of the Mini 1. I have had no loss of screen reception at all so far. The higher 100 Mbps results in a much higher image quality. The controller/transmitter has a much better feel in the hands, solid and less awkward. The control sticks are taller than the mini 1, allowing more precise control of all 3 axis. Even more importantly the Yaw sensitivity can be adjusted in all 3 modes. That was a big issue for me with the Mini 1, there was no yaw adjustment available and making smooth yaw turns was difficult at best. I have reduced the Yaw sensitivity on the Mini 2 and this allows very smooth turns with no jerky movements in the video. The higher speed for all 3 modes is great also and not just the ability to handle higher winds in S Mode. The C Mode is now around 13 mph, pretty much perfect for getting low and slow near the ground, but not a snails pace either. All of this combined gives the Mini 2 a more confident feel in the air which allows for lower flying near the ground or in canyons. In the video below I have a couple scenes very low and slow flying at 2' above the ground that gives a perspective not normally seen in drone videos. The low mass of the drone allows much greater maneuverability at ground level than larger heavier drones. I fly these scenes visually rather than using the screen due to latency. Its a nice ability to be able to video small landscapes that just would not look impressive higher up. The zoom feature is awesome too, I was able to zoom in on rock climbers from far away without distracting them. The higher 4K resolution of the camera is a great feature too, but to be honest I have not used it yet. 1080P seems to fit my needs so far but eventually I'll give it a try. The video below was the result of hiking at Calico Basin most of last week using the Mini 2. Ended up with around 2 hours of video and condensed it down to 6 minutes. All video was just the stock Mini 2 footage with standard settings no filters and no color enhancement.
 
an amazing watch ,its just goes to show size doesn't really matter ,when it comes to drones
 
I can stay in my car and fly the Mini 2. Not sure how much this affects distance but occusync is really good so far.

I've done a couple launches just holding the drone outside my driver's window. Pretty handy and efficient. It's easy to catch/land as well, though I've never tried that from inside the car.
 
Videos like that always get me 'asking' what's the geological history of the place? I suppose it's emphasised because you can see the bare rock/strata as opposed to green swathes of tree or grass.

Wonderful.
 
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Hi, i just lost my mini into the water... you just convinced me to buy the Mini 2? I wonder if I should pay the extra for the remote control of the Mini 2 or use the one for the Mini... any thoughts? Jp
 
Wow. Really beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing. Why do I live where there are no mountain again????

Unfortunately the weather here has been relatively crappy and the lighting ever worse. But my initial impression of the Mini 2 even with some of it's noted quirks is a really impressive drone. Again, I appreciate you sharing the really beautiful NV landscape. Some of the shots were quite impressive.
 
Videos like that always get me 'asking' what's the geological history of the place? I suppose it's emphasised because you can see the bare rock/strata as opposed to green swathes of tree or grass.

Wonderful.
Thanks everyone. The Red colored rock is known as Aztec sandstone and was formed 190 Million years ago. Some of it has a cap of white sandstone overlaying it and giving it the striking appearance. The beige rock in the background mountains is mostly limestone, all of it of course sedimentary and formed in ancient seas. That said, I have found volcanic basalts covering some of the sedimentay rocks in this area, so it has a very interesting history. These red sandstones seem to extend for hundreds of miles to the north east and south, similar deposits to be seen in Utah, the Grand Canyon and Sedona, Arizona.
Regarding the Zoom, yes you can zoom the Mini 2 smoothly up to 4X when videoing in 1080P. I think the resolution goes down a bit when doing this but it is still a handy tool to get as closer look at things without having to fly over. This feature could really be useful to check out wildlife from a distance without disturbing them. One thing I forgot to mention above is this drone is much quieter than the Mini 1. And that is a big plus as well.
 
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Awesome video of a beautiful place. I am envious of anyone that has mountains to fly around. I live in Western KY and we have the lakes and beautiful scenery, but your view is epic!
 
Thanks everyone. The Red colored rock is known as Aztec sandstone and was formed 190 Million years ago. Some of it has a cap of white sandstone overlaying it and giving it the striking appearance. The beige rock in the background mountains is mostly limestone, all of it of course sedimentary and formed in ancient seas. That said, I have found volcanic basalts covering some of the sedimentay rocks in this area, so it has a very interesting history. These red sandstones seem to extend for hundreds of miles to the north east and south, similar deposits to be seen in Utah, the Grand Canyon and Sedona, Arizona.
Regarding the Zoom, yes you can zoom the Mini 2 smoothly up to 4X when videoing in 1080P. I think the resolution goes down a bit when doing this but it is still a handy tool to get as closer look at things without having to fly over. This feature could really be useful to check out wildlife from a distance without disturbing them. One thing I forgot to mention above is this drone is much quieter than the Mini 1. And that is a big plus as well.
Yes! Great flying and super area. Reminded me of the Sedona area. Here’s some from the Coffee Pot rock area in Sedona... No color adjustments done...
 
The 100Mbps only applies to 4K video. Since MM1 wasn't capable of 4K, it had no need for 100Mbps capability. If you were comparing the two with MM2 in 4K, that's not an equivalent comparison. A more fair comparison would be both in 2.7K or 1080p. You'll find that the bit rates between models for those two resolutions will be similar.
 
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The 100Mbps only applies to 4K video. Since MM1 wasn't capable of 4K, it had no need for 100Mbps capability. If you were comparing the two with MM2 in 4K, that's not an equivalent comparison. A more fair comparison would be both in 2.7K or 1080p. You'll find that the bit rates between models for those two resolutions will be similar.
I had assumed that the 100Mbps was the transfer rate from tbe drone back to the controller, but apparently it is the transfer to the SD Card. I fly both the Mini 1 and Mini 2 at 1080P only, and the quality of both videos from the SD card is equal of course. What I was refering to is the quality of the video coming back to the iPhone being used on the controller. I have screen recorded many of my flights and the video quality on the iPhone when used on the Mini 2 is far better than the same iPhone video quality when used on Mini 1. Maybe this is due to the occusnyc but even at close range or a few hundred feet the video quality is better and less pixilated with the Mini 2. The quality of the video on the iPhone is critical when flying low or between canyon walls, so I find it a big improvement over the Mini 1.
 
Yes! Great flying and super area. Reminded me of the Sedona area. Here’s some from the Coffee Pot rock area in Sedona... No color adjustments done...
Great video, those colors of red are even deeper then at Calico Basin. I have family in Munds Park and have driven through that area in 4 wheel drives, but have not had the chance to drone it yet. Hopefully next summer. Thanks
 
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How far away were you from the drone? It looks as though it had to be very far. I lost contact with my mini2 at 2500 feet. it went to RTH and I got picture back after a few seconds. It looks like you were farther than that.
 
How far away were you from the drone? It looks as though it had to be very far. I lost contact with my mini2 at 2500 feet. it went to RTH and I got picture back after a few seconds. It looks like you were farther than that.
There may be something wrong with your drone if you loose contact at 2500'. If there are no obstructions between the drone and the controller (including trees) you should not have any contact issues if you are away from the city. Near the city there could be connection issues and some owners have complained about it. I never fly near the city so not a problem for me.
 
There was a hill with trees blocking my VLOS, but the drone was high enough to see my "target". I know I should have VLOS at all times but I was flying over private land, away from anything, and I wanted to see if it would be able to do it with the occusync in my new mini2.
 
If you didn't have LOS because of things between you and AC, then RC also doesn't have LOS. It's not like the RC is much higher than you are.
 
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